Ball-positioning game



April 16, 1957 E, A PI 2,788,974

BALL-POSITIONING GAME Filed Oct. 30, 1953 A i/V 5 State 2388574iiALL-PosnroNiNo Ernest rick, 'New' York, N. Y. Applicationflctober so,-1953,-Serial No.-38 9,35 1 realms. 2734-15 This invention relates to agame-and more particularly to ;a ticktack-toe game.

it :is an object of this invention to provide as -a novel =article-ofmanufacture a novel 'ticktack-to'e game.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line -3'3-of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a side view of a further modification broken away in part andhaving a fiat bottom,

Fig. is a perspective view of one of the pegs used in playing the game.

Referring to the drawing, a housing 1, preferably of plastic, isprovided with a hemi-spherical bottom 2 as shown in Fig. 3 or with afiat bottom 3 as shown in Fig. 4. The housing 1 has a cylindricalchamber disposed in its top, the chamb'erbeing defined by a flat bottomwall 4 and a circular vertical wall 5. The vertical wall 5 is providedwith a set-back circular rim 6 adjacent the top of said wall.

A top circular transparent plastic plate 7 is provided with nine holesarranged in three equally spaced parallel lines and in three linesperpendicular to the first mentioned lines and spaced in the samemanner. The usual ticktack-toe indicia or dividing lines are preferablydisposed about said holes as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A bottom plate 8, also of plastic, overlies, in the modification shownin Fig. 3, the bottom wall 4 and is provided with nine holes, whichholes are disposed in a manner similar to those distributed on top plate7, but preferably the holes in bottom plate 8 are set slightlyoff-center relative to the corresponding holes in the top plate 7 for apurpose to be described hereinafter (Figs. 1 and 2).

The plate 8 may be omitted as shown in Fig. 4, and the last mentionedholes may be provided in or may extend into the wall 4.

Eight pegs 9 are provided with each game. Each peg has a shaft 10 havinga diameter adapted to be inserted in the holes of both the top plate 7and the bottom plate 8. Each peg is provided with a top finger piece 11of larger diameter than that of the shaft 10. The bottom of the shaft 10is preferably slanted, or it may be pointed, for a purpose to bedescribed hereinafter.

The housing 1 may be provided with an exterior annular flange or rim 12as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, or this rim may be omitted as shown inFig. l. The flange 12 is provided with two sets of opposed holes, fourholes to a set. Each set of holes in the rim 12 is disposed adjacent toone of a pair of players of the game who are located facing each other.The sets of four pegs are r flta eateikat-flfi 1. .57

preferably of different colors, for example a set of four pegs belongingto onetplayermay'be-redcolored whereas the other setmay be yellowcolored.

The pegs may be oflplasticor of wood and when not'in use are disposedabout said rim 12 as shown in Fig.2. When-no-rim is provided for-thehousing as inFig. 1, the pegs -9 are evenly distributed to each playerbefore the start of the game.

If a bottom plate-8 is used, the uppersurfacepfthe wall-4 may have asingle large cavity instead of small holes-in order to receive the endsof theipegsr9.

The game may beassembledas follows: The bottom .plate 8-is placed-uponthebottom wall 4-and asteel ball 13 of suitable diameter is placed uponthe plate 8. Next the top plate 7 is placed on the rim 6, so that theassembled game has the relationship of parts shown in Fig. 3. g

-In pla-ying a gameof-ticktack toe the two players :A and B set facingeach other with the hemi-sphe'rical portion -2 of-the housing '1disposedona -flat surface such as a; table top. Player -A then tilts andmanipulates the .game apiece always maintaining contact with thetabletop. until the ball '13 becomes seated in'a hole of bottom plate=8. A peg-9 of the player :is then inserted through the adjacent tophole in plate 7 and pushed vertically-downward,-and due to the slant oroblique surface 14 of the peg the ball 13 is dislodged and the-peg-:shaft 10 'enters the -hole where the ball "13 had {previously'been seated. This peg is allowed to remain in this position until thegame is completed.

The above described off-set position of the holes in the plates 7 and 8facilitates considerably the dislocation of the ball 13 which otherwisewould be hardly possible. Due to this position, the inserted peg hitsthe seated ball more laterally and pushes the same in a lateraldirection away from the hole in which the ball sits.

Now the player B tilts and manipulates the game piece in exactly themanner as described above for player A until B succeeds in having theball 13 seated in an unoccupied hole in plate 8, whereupon B inserts oneof his pegs 10 in the manner described above for player A.

Next player As turn comes again and he again manipulates the game pieceuntil he succeeds in seating the ball 13 a second time in one of theunoccupied holes of plate 8 whereupon he inserts his second peg. Then Bsturn comes and he repeats his first performance until he also succeedsin seating the ball this second time.

The players thus alternately play until one player succeeds in arrangingthree of his pegs in a straight line whereupon he becomes the winner ofthe game.

It is thus seen the pegs serve a triple purpose, namely, to push theball out of its seated captive state, to mark the ticktack-toe indiciafor scoring and to prevent the ball from entering the same hole in thebottom plate in the same game.

The embodiment of this invention embraces a housing with or without anexterior rim and with a spherical bottom or flat bottom. When a flatbottom is used a table top need not be used as a horizontal support,since in this instance the game piece may be held in the players handsuntil the ball becomes seated.

The ball 13 is always imprisoned but freely movable in the chamberformed between top plate 7 and bottom plate 8. Furthermore the chamberneed not be cylindrical for other chamber spaces for example spaces ofoval circumference are operable. Also tapered or pointed shafts on thepegs may be used in lieu of the slanted shafts of the pegs shown.

The ofi-center relationship between the holes in the bottom plate 8 andthose in the top plate 7 may be produced by using a centered bottomplate 8 and offsetting the top plate 7, or vice verse by using acentered top plate 7 and offsetting the bottom plate 8. I Also theticktack-toe indicia may be imprinted or applied otherwise to the bottomplate 8 in lieu of the transparent top plate 7. i

It appears from the foregoing that the described game forms acombination of a ticktack-toe game requiring mental skill with a gamerequiring patience and manual skill.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to theparticular embodiments shown and described, the same being merelyillustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other wayswithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodimentsshown and described are only a few of'the many that may be employed toattain the objects of my invention. v a t I claim: 7

l. A game device comprising a housing having a flat inner chamber, atransparent top wall over said chamber a and a bottom closing the lowerside of said chamber, said top wall having a predetermined pattern ofholes, said bottom having a plane upper surface interrupted by cavitiesextending from said chamber, each of said cavities being under one ofsaid holes; a single ball confined in said chamber and having a diametersmaller than the height of said chamber whereby said ball is freelyroll- H over which a peg has been inserted, said cavities being slightlyoffset laterally with respect to the associated holes whereby said ballwhen settled in a cavity is eccentrically hit by a peg inserted in theassociated hole and is unseated laterally by eccentric push.

2. A game device comprising a housing having a flat inner chamber, atransparent top wall over said chamber and a bottom under said chamber,said top wall having a predetermined pattern of holes, said bottomhaving cavities extending from said chamber, each of said cavities beingunder one of said holes in slightly offset relation thereto; a singleball confined in said chamber and having a diameter smaller than theheight of said chamber whereby said ball is freely rollable in saidchamber except when settled in one of said cavities; and pegs insertablein said holes and having a length reaching, in inserted condition, intosaid cavities whereby said ball is prevented from settling in a cavityover which a peg has been inserted, said pegs having lower' endstapering obliquely to one side whereby insertion of a peg into a holeand its associated cavity unseats said ball by pushing it laterally ifthe same is settled in the cavity over which said peg is inserted. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS YerkesJuly 1, 1 952

